Country House Bellport

For this secluded Georgian mansion on Long Island, the studio’s task was to transform a formerly minimalist design into a classic but contemporary country house; a family home that would weave the clients’ contrasting tastes and upbringings – his old-world English elegance with her feminine West Coast glamour – while also creating a playful space for this young couple and their family. Local artisans and suppliers were used wherever possible, their work interspersed with inherited paintings, furniture and porcelain. Classic prints by Bennison were given contemporary twists, such as in the sunroom where palm trees discretely recall California in old-world style. In the kitchen and the nanny’s room monochrome colours manifest serenity, while in the children’s room the same is achieved through a delicately painted trompe l’oeil to create the appearance of tongue and groove panelling and a charming hand-drawn mural of springtime birds in the branches of a tree, both painted by a local craftsman. In the bedrooms, traditional floral wallpapers combine with carefully sourced antique American quilts to create yet further harmony between the old world and the new; history and tradition is filled with colour and light and all tied together with eclecticism, playfulness and a touch of eccentricity.

Photographer: ANNABEL ELSTON
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